How did this happen?
by rivendell88
Summary: Hermione has feelings for her best friend. What must she do? Oneshot. My first. Enjoy!


**Disclaimer: **Nothing here belongs to me but the plot. But I so love the thought of Harry and Hermione ending up together. I know, I know, Book 6. Oh, well, enjoy all you HHr shippers out there!

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**How did this happen?**

By rivendell88

The 7th year, the final year… the end of a life – a life she cherished, so different from an ordinary girl's life. But she was no ordinary girl – she was a witch, and a brilliant one, so they say. But what is she really dreading? Leaving her beloved Hogwarts? Or seeing less of him?

Ah, him.

"How did this happen?", she asks herself.

They're just friends, best of friends at that! And yet, as the years passed, they have grown closer than she realized. Too close, in fact. Maybe it was fated. They've been through a lot, seen and experienced things no ordinary person should face. But they survived all of it - because they were together.

He is no ordinary boy, of course. He was famous in the wizarding world, not that he chose that fame. In truth, he sometimes despises it, craving for a normal life, one that was deprived of him at such an early age.

They didn't start out as friends. In fact, they didn't like each other right away. But circumstances occurred placing her life in his hands. And a bond had been formed that fateful night, a bond so strong that they have risked each other's lives countless times to save one another.

"Friendship, that's what he can offer – only that, nothing more", she often tells herself.

She has fought against this feeling, fearful that it may destroy their friendship, afraid that it may alienate him. And so she kept it hidden, all these years; as she continued to treat him like a brother. Although there have been moments when she felt her actions betrayed her true feelings.

"Don't think about him," she sometimes scolds herself. Easier said than done.

Even now, as she prepares to go to bed, here in her dormitory, with all her fellow female students fast asleep, she thinks of nothing else but him. How his dark unruly hair sometimes falls over his scar. Those brilliant green eyes which seem to look through your very soul. That smile; that dear, dear smile, which she will miss more and more as she sees less of him after this school year.

And as she closes her eyes to sleep, she smiles a gentle smile, with the thought that tomorrow, she will see him again. Her dearest, most beloved Harry. The boy who lived, the man she loved.

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"Hermione, over here!"

"Good morning, Harry", she beams at him, her eyes shining brightly, as she prepares to sit down beside him at the table in the Great Hall.

They were all having breakfast. He was discussing Quidditch with Ron, as usual, when she arrived. But when she was seated, he turned to face her.

"So, who will you go with to the Ball?" he asked her.

"Oh," she was taken by surprise.

The Ball! She had almost forgotten about it! And she still didn't have a date! And it's already the 12th of February!

"Uhm, well… I'm not sure if I'm going at all," she said in a low voice, not looking at him.

"Not going? Why not? Every girl in Gryffindor is going, from what I hear. " he said.

"We-ll, I don't know," she finishes lamely. She then turned to her breakfast to avoid his questioning eyes, so that Harry was forced to abandon the topic.

But all through breakfast, classes, lunch, and dinner, all Hermione could think of was Harry and the Ball.

"If he only knew that more than anything in the world, I want to go with him. But that's just wishful thinking," she tells herself.

And as she entered the Gryffindor common room, it didn't help that all she could hear were the girls talking about what they will wear for the Ball, who they were going with. Carrying her books, she started to walk towards the stairs that lead up to her dormitory.

She was walking with her head bowed. So she didn't see in time the boy who was standing in her path until it was too late. She walked straight into him, losing all her books in the process.

"Oh!"

"Whoa there, Hermione!"

And she felt two strong arms holding her close to keep her from falling backwards.

She then looked up into spectacled green eyes. It was Harry.

She couldn't help it; she smiled and blushed all at the same time, unable to keep her eyes from twinkling. Seeing this, Harry blinked.

"Sorry about that. Are you alright?" Harry asked her. She nodded.

And somehow, he still kept holding her, oblivious of the people milling around the room, some of them already looking their way.

"You can let go now".

"Oh, yeah, right." Did he just blush? He let her go then, but almost reluctantly, she felt.

He helped her pick up her things and then stood aside as she started to climb the stairs.

"Good night, Hermione", he almost whispered the words.

"Good night, Harry", she replied, looking back at him and smiling her gentle smile.

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"Well, it's decided. I'm not going", she says to herself, as she rested against a tree near the lake. It was a lazy afternoon and she came here to relax, to run away from everything, even for a while.

Two boys from Ravenclaw and one guy from Hufflepuff had already asked her, but she refused all of them. She did not think she would enjoy the Ball if it wasn't Harry who was taking her.

She closed her eyes, daydreaming of what might have been if her wish did come true.

She didn't realize she was smiling until she heard a voice saying:

"How peaceful you look, with your eyes closed and your lips smiling like that."

"Harry! You startled me!"

"Mind if I sit down?" he asked, not waiting for an answer but slumping down beside her.

"Not at all, seeing you've already decided to stay anyway," she replied scathingly, but with laughter in her voice. She was so glad to see him; she couldn't keep the happiness from her voice.

They sat like that, not speaking, but content in quietly keeping each other company.

Then, totally taking her breath away, he suddenly lay down by placing his head on her lap, looking up at her.

She was at a loss on how to react. She just stared down at him, a question in her eyes.

Harry continued to look at her, an unfathomable look on his face. He then stretched out his hand to touch her cheek with infinite tenderness. Just that one touch and a wealth of understanding seemed to pass between them.

He sat up slowly, facing her, then taking both her hands in his own, he kissed her – a soft kiss on her lips.

And then they smiled at each other, no words needed to tell what they felt for one another.

He stood up, held out his hand to help her up. And as she raised herself up, he pulled her into his arms, holding her as if he would never let go.

"Hermione?", he asked, his lips against her hair, smelling the sweet fragrance that reminded him of roses in the summer. Why didn't he notice this before?

"Hmmm?"

"Will you go to the Ball with me?", this said with laughter in Harry's voice.

She raised her head then, her brown eyes crinkling with merriment, to reply: "Yes, I'd love too."

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They entered the Gryffindor room together, hands linked. There were a lot of people in the common room, all busy talking about the ball so that nobody noticed.

"Harry! Hermione! Over here!" It was Ron, calling out to them. He was talking to Neville & Ginny, who everyone knows were now officially going steady. Ron himself was going out with Luna, though he tries to keep their relationship as low key as possible – that after the Lavender episode.

Harry and Hermione joined the group, talking and laughing with them, as is common with dear friends who get together.

It was Hermione who stood up first.

"Well, I'm off to bed. Have to get up early. Good night, everyone!", this to everybody in general.

"Good night, Harry," she smiled at him and he in return, stood up to pull her into his arms and give her a kiss on the lips.

"Good night, Hermione. Sweet dreams.", Harry replied, his hand touching her hair, a smile playing on his lips.

For about 10 seconds, everyone just looked at them, stunned. And then, it came – the big Whoop! from Ron and catcalls, whistles, and applause from the rest of the occupants in the common room.

"Finally!", this from Ron, "It's about bloody time!"

And Hermione, blushing prettily, smiled at Harry, the look of a girl in love and who was loved in return.


End file.
